This coming weekend is Pittsburgh Comic-Con! From November 4 – 6, celebrities such as Nichelle Nichols (Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek), Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock in Daredevil), and Evan Peters (Quicksilver in X-Men) will be visiting Pittsburgh. Since Comic-Cons can be quite overwhelming for first-timers, here are ten things for you to keep in mind.
1. Charge your phone before coming. If you have a portable charger, bring it with you. While Comic-Cons are a lot of fun, there’s also a good deal of waiting around, which means a lot of people are on their phones, so be prepared for your phone’s battery to die faster than usual. If your phone does die, don’t worry! It happens to me every time I go to Comic-Con, and so I end up sitting by an outlet and people-watching for half an hour while I wait.
2. On that note, don’t be afraid to dress up! There are so many amazing costumes at Comic-Con — including professional cosplayers — but plenty of people attend wearing less elaborate costumes. I once wore a red shirt and claimed I was a “Redshirt” from Star Trek to everyone I met. Comic-Con is a perfect time to wear any and everything from a superhero T-shirt to a Stormtrooper costume. And since Pittsburgh Comic-Con is the weekend after Halloween, you may even have a costume already in your closet!
3. It is still important to dress comfortably. If you wear heels to Comic-Con, chances are you (and your feet) will regret it. If you do want to wear heels, or any other item of clothing that may be uncomfortable, bring a change of clothes just in case. Keep in mind that other than time spent in panels, you’ll spend most of the day on your feet.
4. Embrace the lines. While no line can compare to the lines for San Diego Comic-Con, it’s not really a Comic-Con unless you spend at least some time waiting in line. If there’s an event you really want to attend, just make sure you get there early.
5. Buy tickets in advance. Tickets for Pittsburgh Comic-Con are $10 more if you wait until you’re on site. Buy your tickets before you get there and spend the money you saved at one of the exhibitor stalls.
6. Save big purchases for the end of the day. There are a ton of amazing things you can buy from exhibitors and artists on the floor, but keep in mind that when you buy something before lunch, you have to carry it with you for the rest of the day. Trust me, you do not want to be lugging a bunch of heavy bags back and forth between panels and the main floor.
7. Bring snacks. In my experience, food options at Comic-Cons are very overpriced and very limited (especially if you have dietary restrictions). Save money and bring your own drinks and food.
8. Attend the panels. While everyone wants to go to the panels with the big-name celebrities, check out as many smaller panels as you can. You receive a program when you pick up your wristband, and while the floor can be exciting, it’s also a nice change of pace to sit and listen to a panel on comics or cosplaying or zombies.
9. Be respectful of celebrities and cosplayers. Ask before you take pictures or touch anyone. If you get the chance to ask a question during a panel, please refrain from commenting on an actor’s appearance and take advantage of the opportunity to ask a question you’d really like to know the answer to.
10. Stay in the room between panels and move up seats. This is easily the most useful piece of advice I can offer. The programming rooms aren’t cleared out between panels, so once you’re inside, you’re golden. If there’s one panel you really want a good seat for, go to an earlier panel in the same room and move up as many rows as you can when it ends.
If you’re interested in buying tickets or learning more about Pittsburgh Comic-Con, click here.
Photo Credit: All photos are the author’s own